Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey Bible study
February 23, 1991
Job 1 & 2
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I. Introduction.
A. Rabbi's son Aaron dies of progeria, "rapid aging", at age 14.
1) Why would this happen to the son of a good, religious man?
B. Theology must reflect real life.
II. Why do the righteous suffer? (p 6)
A. People deserve what they get. Isa 3:10-11, Gen 38:7, Prov 12:21, Job 14:7
1) Positive.
a) No one is perfect.
2) Negative.
a) Teaches people to blame themselves.
1> [Boy needs glasses after reading Playboy.]
b) Doesn't fit the facts.
1> Much evil happens to innocent people.
B. People get what they deserve, over time. Psalm 92 (p 12)
1) Wishful thinking. Even over time it doesn't work out.
C. God has his own reasons that we are not in position to judge.
1) Novel "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" (1924) by Thornton Wilder.
(Five who die in bridge collapse had recently resolved
a problematic situation in their lives and were now
about to enter a new phase. Perhaps it "was" an
appropriate time for each of them to die, thinks the
priest.)
a) Doesn't work on larger-scale disasters.
2) Life as a tapestry.
a) We see chaos, loose ends; God sees beautiful rug. (p 17)
1> Medieval sage: "Tell me not why I must suffer.
Assure me only that I suffer for Thy sake."
D. Suffering is educational. (p 19)
1) It cures us of our faults and makes us better people.
a) God punishes us as a father punishes a child.
1 Cor 11:32, Heb 12:5-11
2) But no clear connection between fault and punishment.
a) Kushner offended by suggestion retarded children are
created so we will learn compassion and gratitude.
b) Why should God distort someone else's life to enhance
our spiritual sensitivity?
3) Concept of testing. Gen 22, Abraham & Isaac
a) God only tests those who can take it. 1 Cor 10:13
1> He knows who is weak.
b) But many good people apparently fail their "test".
E. Suffering liberates us from world of pain, leads to better place.
1) Tragedy should bring rejoicing.
2) But such rejoicing is a rejection of hard reality.
a) We are persuading ourselves evil is good. Isa 5:20
b) Wishful thinking can blind us to sense of injustice.
III. The cause of suffering. (p 29)
A. Most theology assumes God is behind suffering.
1) We blame ourselves in order to spare God's reputation.
B. Another view - help comes from God, but not pain. Ps 121:1-2
C. Story of Job. (p 31)
1) Hypothetical story, since Job is portrayed as perfect.
a) Unfair story, since a good God wouldn't kill children.
2) Traditional piety contrasted with hard questions about fate.
a) Job does complain about God, friends don't.
b) Friends assume God knows what he is doing.
3) Conclusion has Job swearing to innocence, asking for evidence.
a) God's answer: "What do you know about running a world?"
4) Three truths assumed in book:
a) God is all-powerful.
b) God is just and fair.
c) Job is a good person.
1> Job's suffering creates a problem.
2> One of above truths must be sacrificed.
5) How the characters deal with the above truths: (p 39)
a) The friends blame the victim, Job. They reject "C".
b) Job rejects "B".
1> God is all-powerful and seemingly above morality.
2> The book portrays God as a (insecure) king. Job 9:12
c) Author of Job puts his answer in God's final speech.
1> God is really there?
A> Job never doubted his existence.
2> God is all-powerful and doesn't have to be fair?
A> Job has claimed this all along.
3> God cannot be concerned with one puny person?
A> Then morality of Bible would be irrelevant to God.
6) Author of Job rejects "A". (p 41)
a) God is good, but not all-powerful. Job 40:9-14
b) Misfortunes don't come from God.
1> But God can still be a comfort in our sorrows.
Themes of other chapters:
IV. The reason bad things happen - sometimes there isn't any.
V. Good people are not exempted from trouble.
VI. God lets us have room to be human.
VII. God helps those who stop hurting themselves.
VIII. God can't do everything.
IX. What the value of religion is.
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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